Spring 2012 Vegetables

Rhubarb

Lest you think I've somehow given up on vegetables, and totally gone over to the ornamental side, rest assured.







Here are some pictures of my edible stuff

Peas Sprouting

The warmth, and lack of moisture allowed me to work the soil early this year, so I was actually able to plant peas on St. Patrick's Day, something that I have only rarely been able to do. Usually, it's not until the Easter weekend that I get enough time, or energy to get going in the garden.

More Peas Sprouting

 This year - the peas are up for Easter weekend.

Lettuce and Radishes

And I seeded some lettuces and radishes the same weekend, seen here coming up in a hastily created raised bed.

Horseradish

Asparagus

Perennial plants Rhubarb (top of the page), Horseradish, and Asparagus.  All of these were planted 6 years ago and will provide bounty practically forever.  I need to divide the Rhubarb and Horseradish. 


Self Sowed Cilantro

 And here is some self-sowed cilantro.

Garlic

Last fall's planting of onions and garlic is doing well.

Multiplier Onions

The many leaved ones are the multiplier onions.

2nd Year Garlic Clump (Unharvested from 2011)

Given where it's growing, I must have missed harvesting this garlic clump last year.   I googled around trying to learn what to do about it.

This Mother Earth News article  offers one possibility - Garlic Greens:

To grow garlic greens for cooking, plant whole bulbs 12 inches apart in the fall. In spring, when the greens are 10 inches tall, grab them with one hand, and use your other hand to lop them off with a knife. You should get two more cuttings before the plants give out.

Another article suggested digging and dividing them for a regular, but later, garlic harvest.  Me - I'm gonna leave them alone and see what happens.  I'm not sure if the clump is a soft neck or hard neck variety, or if it matters.  From what I've read, there will be multiple, smaller heads, with smaller cloves.  We'll see.

Garlic is not biennial, like regular (not the perennial, multiplier) onions.  Regular onions will flower and produce seeds the second year if you missed harvesting them and left them in the ground.

Victory Garden 2012 Log - August 13th

Food Day!  One of the more fun days of the annual workshop - everyone gets to make a dish using their grown produce as part of the ingredients, and share in a pot luck meal.  Work in the garden, then come in to enjoy some food and fellowship.  Recipes follow.

Chunky Tomato Salsa (From Taste of Home)

• Prep: 45 min. Cook: 1-1/4 hours + chilling
• Yield: 16 Servings

Ingredients

• 3-1/2 cups peeled chopped tomatoes (about 4 large)
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 serrano pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2-1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Baked tortilla chip scoops

Directions

• In a large saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients. Stir in the tomato paste, vinegar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring frequently. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Serve with chips. Yield: 4 cups.

Pesto Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS

4 cups uncooked spiral pasta
1 cup fresh basil pesto
2 Tbsp chopped green olives or olive tapenade
1/4 cup walnuts or pine nuts
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted (or fresh if you can get them)
12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
Several fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

METHOD

1 Cook pasta according to instructions on the package. Make sure the water is salted (at least a half teaspoon per quart). Remove pasta from heat and strain when pasta is cooked, but still firm (al dente).

2 Put pasta in a big bowl. Mix in fresh basil pesto, green olives, and nuts. Gently mix in cherry tomatoes, peas, fresh basil leaves and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill or serve at room temperature.

Yield: Serves 6-8.

STUFFED JALAPENOS

Use the most thick walled jalapenos you can get.

cut off tops and remove core and seeds (I use a potato peeler)

mix together grated cheddar, and bacon bits - about half and half

stuff into chilies

Stand chilies upright

Bake at 350 for about an hour

Zucchini & Summer Squash Gratin with Parmesan & Fresh Thyme.

For the onions:

2 Tbs. olive oil
2 medium onions (14 oz. total), thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
To assemble the gratin:

1-1/4 lb. ripe red tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices
3/4 lb. (about 2 small) zucchini or other green summer squash, cut into 1/4-inch slices on the bias
3/4 lb. (about 2 small) yellow summer squash or golden zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices on the bias
3 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. coarse salt
1-1/4 cups freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

To cook the onions: In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until limp and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low if they're browning too quickly. Add the garlic and sauté until soft and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes Spread the onions and garlic evenly in the bottom of an oiled 2-qt. shallow gratin dish (preferably oval). Let cool.

To assemble the gratin: Heat the oven to 375°F. Put the tomato slices on a shallow plate to drain for a few minutes and then discard the collected juices. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini and squash slices with 1-1/2 Tbs. of the olive oil, 2 Tbs. of the thyme, and 1/2 tsp. of the salt. Reserve half of the cheese for the top of the gratin. Sprinkle 1 Tbs. of the thyme over the onions in the gratin. Starting at one end of the baking dish, lay a row of slightly overlapping tomato slices across the width of the dish and sprinkle with a little of the cheese. Next, lay a row of zucchini, overlapping the tomatoes by two-thirds, and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat with a row of squash, and then repeat rows, sprinkling each with cheese, until the gratin is full.

Season lightly with pepper and the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. Drizzle the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. olive oil over all. Combine the reserved cheese with the remaining 1 Tbs. thyme and sprinkle this over the whole gratin. Cook until well-browned all over and the juices have bubbled for a while and reduced considerably, 65 to 70 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 min. before serving.

Vegetable Frittata

I like to think of a frittata as a quiche with no pie crust. Basically, just saute a bunch of fresh garden veggies (squash, peas, beans, eggplant, broccoli, tomato, peas, asparagus, potatoes, mushrooms, spinach - etc., depending on the season) in olive oil, butter, or my favorite, bacon fat, add an egg/milk mixture, season with salt, pepper, fresh herbs (thyme works well), add shredded cheeses - I've used cheddar, Swiss, gouda, brie, parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), feta, goat, etc. - basically any cheese handy, and in any, multiple combination of your fancy and finish in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or so. Brown the last two minutes using the broiler. Remove from the pan using the two plate method and serve. I think it's best served warm. Also good cold the next day.

Sorrel Soup

1 quart duck, chicken, or vegetable stock
2 cups (1/4 pound) picked sorrel leaves, washed and stemmed
1 leek, the white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
4 large egg yolks
1 cup cream
Salt and pepper to taste
4 small sorrel leaves for garnish

Bring the stock, sorrel, and leeks to a boil in a saucepan, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Puree in a blender, or food processor in batches, or use an immersion blender. Mix the yolks with the cream and add spoonfuls of the hot puree to the cream mixture a little at a time. Then add the cream to the soup, correct the seasoning, and serve either hot or cold. Garnish with fresh sorrel leaf.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2 ½ Cups Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp salt
½ Cup Cocoa
1 ½ tsp Baking Soda
2 Cups Sugar
3 Eggs
2 ½ Cups Ground Zucchini
¾ Cups Butter
½ Cup Nuts (Optional)

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa, baking soda, sugar, eggs, zucchini, butter and nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes in a 9X 13 inch pan

Other recipes not pictured:

 Fire Roasted Pepper Soup

(Note from author: None of these ingredients are exact. Add more or less, as you like)

1. Cut up green peppers, slices of egg plant and onions. Toss in olive oil and roast over a wood fire until soft and slightly scorched

2. Cut up tomatoes, scallions, garlic. Toss in parsley, rosemary, a little basil pesto, and simmer until the tomato skins fall off and everything is soft. Strain through a colander, saving all the juice. Some seeds and pulp are ok

3. Puree in small batches the first mixture, adding the second mixture, and tomato paste to thicken, as you blend

Reheat the whole mixture in a large saucepan or crockpot. Add a little milk or cream, and a pat of butter. Enjoy!

Linda’s Baked Corn

2 ½ Cups Sweet Corn
2 Eggs Beaten
2 Cups Milk
3 Tbsp. Butter (melted)
½ pkg Saltine Crackers (crushed)
1 Tbsp Sugar
1/8 Tsp Salt
1/8 Tsp Pepper

Cut kernels off of fresh corn cob, or use frozen corn. Beat eggs. Crush saltines and melt the butter. Mix all ingredients together and put into a 2-quart baking dish or double recipe for 9X13 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Fettuccine Primavera

1 cup broccoli flowerets
1 cup sliced zucchini½ cup diced green peppers
½ cup chopped onion
½ tsp dried basil leaves (1 tsp fresh)
¾ cup margarine or butter
2 medium tomatoes cut into wedges
½ cup sliced mushrooms
1 (12 oz) pkg fettuccine noodles, cooked and drained

In skillet, over med-high heat, cook broccoli, zucchini, green pepper, onion, and basil in margarine or butter until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomatoes and mushrooms. Toss vegetable mixture with hot fettuccini. Serve with Parmesan Cheese, if desired.

ZUCCHINI BREAD/CAKE

2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup slivered almonds
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups flour
3 tblsp. cocoa
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. soda
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup raisins or chocolate chips (neither of which were in the recipe today)

Mix dry ingredients together
Beat eggs, sugar, oil, nuts, and zucchini together.
Add to dry ingredients a little at a time. Add raisins or choc. chips and almond extract
Pour into 2 greased and slightly floured bread pans

Bake 350 for 55 minutes

Tomato and Sweet Onion Crumble

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 sweet onions (about 1 lb. total), such as Walla Walla or Oso, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, rinsed, cored, and sliced (1/4 in. thick)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
• Salt and pepper
• 4 slices crusty artisan-style bread (each about 1 in. thick and 3 by 5 in.), cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) butter
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add onions and garlic. Stir frequently until onions are limp and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Pour into a 2- to 3-quart baking dish with sides at least 2 inches high, and spread onions level. Top evenly with tomato slices, basil, and oregano. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

2. In a food processor, whirl bread with butter and cheese until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over tomatoes.

3. Bake in a 350° oven until topping is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and serve warm.

SQUASH CASSEROLE

4 lg garlic cloves
1 med white onion
Olive oil
3 small zucchini
3 small yellow crookneck
4 Tbsp butter
4 med tomatoes
Oregano
Freshly grated Boar’s Head Parmigiano-Reggiano
Freshly grated Boar’s Head provolone

Squash and cut up garlic and add to olive oil in pan. Start cooking. Cut up onion and add to pan. Cut up zucchini and crookneck and add to pan with butter. Cover. Slowly cook until squash is somewhat cooked. Get a glass of wine. Add peeled and cut up tomatoes. Add oregano. Cook until incorporated and tomatoes have cooked down. If tomatoes are juicy, remove cover and cook off some of the liquid. Put into casserole dish. Top with cheeses. Bake 350 for 30 minutes. Drink more wine.

All was not just fun and food, there was work to be done, but we had some special help this week, since our leader, Darl, was also babysitting his grandkids:

Help harvesting zucchini.

Help harvesting tomatoes.

We all pitched in with the beans.

Harvesting basil.

Harvesting Eggplant

Harvesting pole beans

And more tomatoes.

Growing Great Goobers (Yankee Doodle Edition)

A few years back, I was intrigued by an entry by Dr. Jeff Gillman of the Garden Professors at their blog, discussing newer varieties of peanuts that made growing them in colder climates more feasible, so it was delightful to learn this spring, that the leaders of our season long Victory Garden team, MG’s Darl Hospelhorn and Linda Horst, decided to experiment with growing them here, just north of the Mason-Dixon line.

Dr. Gillman’s interest stemmed from his years enjoying boiled peanuts when living in Georgia, describing them this way:

One of the foods which I miss the most though — one that hasn’t found its way to Minnesota yet — is the boiled peanut.  For those of you who don’t know what a boiled peanut is, it’s a little piece of heaven that has been boiled in a tub of hot salt water for a long time so that, when you break open the peanut’s shell, now the texture of watery cardboard, the seeds inside are soft, warm and, you guessed it, salty.

Always wanting to try a new taste experience, especially one that comes from an equally new growing experience, made me eager to give it a go.  Here’s some information from our 2013 Victory Garden experience, with some lessons learned, and what we’ll try to do next year.

First off, Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) are a tropical plant in the legume family, meaning they belong to the family of plants that have evolved a way, with help from a naturally occurring bacteria, to fix Nitrogen from the air, like the clover being researched for including in home lawns.

What we eat are the seeds of the plant, like beans and peas.  Peanuts, however, have a fascinatingly unusual growth characteristic; the plant flowers above the ground, but fruits and sets seeds below ground. 

After planting when soil temperatures reach about 65 degrees, the peas germinate in about 10 days, and after about 40 days, bright yellow flowers (that look a lot like small pea blossoms) bloom on the lower portion of the plant.

Peanut Flower.  Picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The plant is self-fertile, meaning it pollinates itself, like peas and beans, (and tomatoes, for that matter) do, and the petals drop as the ovary forms.  Here’s the fascinating part.  According to the National Peanut Board,

This budding ovary is called a “peg.”  The peg enlarges and grows down and away from the plant forming a small stem which extends to the soil.  The peanut embryo is in the tip of the peg, which penetrates the soil. The embryo turns horizontal at that point and begins to mature taking the form of a peanut. The plant continues to grow and flower, eventually producing some 40 or more pods. From planting to harvesting, the growing cycle of a peanut takes 4 to 5 months, depending on the type and variety.

Botanists have a term for the above the ground flower, but below the ground fruit and seed set; it's a specialized form of Geocarpy called Hysterocarpy.

The Master Gardener Victory Garden folks planted about 100 seeds (two packets obtained from Park Seeds) of a variety called “Virginia Jumbo” after greatly loosening the soil.  Next year, we'll look for a source of the boiling varieties recommended by Dr. Gillman, bred for more northern climates, New Mexico Valencia A, and HW-136, and we'll start them in the greenhouse to get a few week's jump on the growing season.

Because of the “grow down and then horizontal” aspect of the peg, peanuts do best in soils that are more sandy than typical Franklin County clay, so keep that in mind if you want to try this at home.  This was in Mid May.

Here’s where we made an error, mulching our standard way with newspaper, covered with straw along the row to retain moisture and prevent weeds.  The straw part is fine, but the newspaper would have interfered with that pesky downward growth thing.

Luckily, Master Gardener Bill Dorman noticed, and having grown peanuts on his family farm (a looong time ago, he quipped) on the Eastern Shore, we were able to pull away the newspapers in time to prevent catastrophe.

Our germination rate was pretty low, getting at most about ½ of our planted seeds to sprout.  We’re not sure if this is typical, or we didn’t wait long enough for the soil to warm, or the very wet spring had something to do with it.

The recommendation is to plant about 2-3 inches deep (shallower in clay soils) using about 5 seeds per foot of row.  Each row should be about 20 inches apart (we only did one row.)

During the growing season, Clemson University’s Extension fact sheet for the home grower has this advice about care:

“Water is the most common limiting factor in peanut production. There are three important periods for maintaining adequate moisture with peanuts:

• At planting to encourage germination.
• From 50 to 100 days after planting as the pegs enter the soil and the pod begins to develop. Water is most critical at this time.
• Pod filling about 100 days until harvest.

Avoid wetting the leaves when watering. Stop irrigating 10 days to two weeks before harvest."

We were pretty lucky this year with adequate rainfall during these important times.  Calcium is important to the plant, and our soil test at the beginning of the season showed plenty of calcium available, so no additional supplements were needed, and our pH range was also on target.  The recommended pH range is 5.8-6.2 for optimal growing conditions.
 

Here’s another mistake we made.  Boiling peanuts are harvested slightly immature, around 90-100 days after planting, depending on weather and growing conditions.  We didn’t know that, and were relying on the leaves to naturally yellow to signal harvest time.

Our last day for the Victory Garden was the end of September and the group decided to leave them in the ground to give them plenty of time to mature.  Our harvest then, is probably limited to fully mature ones that are best roasted and then eaten.  I’ll have to wait until next year to get an opportunity to experience the joys described by Dr. Gilliam above, remembering to treat them like “shelly” beans – bean varieties you grow for dry storage, but harvested early, which you then boil and eat in mid to late summer. 
 

A test for maturity for peanuts, again according to Clemson University, is

“...to scrape the middle or "saddle" of the outside of the pod with a knife. The peanuts can be harvested for roasting when 40 percent of the pods have a dark brown to black color in the scraped area. As peanuts mature, the hull color in this scraped-away saddle area changes from white to yellow, orange to brown, and then to black.”

Boiling peanuts are best harvested when the color is white to yellow.
 

We harvested the peanuts just this past week (November 13th), probably a little late, but that was the only time travel schedules and other duties permitted the team to get together and dig.
 

Normally, you’d dig the plants and leave them intact and allow a few weeks to dry in the field before gathering and pulling off the peanuts for further drying and then roasting, or freezing for later roasting.  The goal is to reduce their moisture content down to about 10% for maximum storage quality.  Since we didn’t have that option, and we forgot to check the instructions, and it was a bit too cold and blustery to be out in the elements digging, the ones we harvested were pulled off the stems and are now drying on newspaper in unheated garages.

They look pretty good, though.  At least to this Yankee.  And I’m sure we’ll do even better next year.

University of Maryland Master Gardener Erica Smith of the Grow it Eat it Blog is also a fan of the plant.  Read her blog posts here, and here.
 

The Master Gardener Victory Garden season-long workshop is a community gardening project where up to 25 folks who want to learn from Master Gardeners all about various methods to grow vegetables in home gardens, have the opportunity to learn hands on, how to plan, plant, maintain, and harvest vegetables from their own efforts.

The class meets weekly, starting in late April, and goes until end of harvest time in late September each year.  Look for information about the 2014 season in mid March, 2014.

Sowing a Cover Crop

Master Gardener Angela Weathers offers tips on putting your vegetable garden to bed by sowing a cover crop to improve your soil.

Whatever you do don’t leave your soil bare this winter or you’ll be missing out on a chance to recharge your soil and increase its fertility. This year why not try planting a cover crop or green manure? They are well suited to all gardens, big or small. Green manure and cover crops are often grown as an inexpensive method of improving the soil, they might be the hardest-working plants you’ll ever grow, and they cover the soil and protect it from erosion, and suppress weed germination. Dozens of plants have special talents and pull up nutrients and minerals from deep within the soil to improve the soil structure by increasing nitrogen production and soil microbial activity. They enhance the availability of nutrients locked up in the soil, and conserve water.

These crops can also break disease cycles and reduce populations of bacterial and fungal diseases; they also attract natural predators of pests by providing elements of their habitat. Most plants used for cover crops and green manure are either grasses such as rye, barley or wheat, or legumes like peas, beans and various types of clovers and vetches.

Be sure to plant your cover crop/green manure seed about four weeks before killing frosts.  That would mean planting in late September or early October.  Broadcast the seed and rake it in to protect it from the birds, and then keep moist until germination. You must kill these crops before they set seed in the spring and the top growth gets out of control. You can quickly kill them by cutting back with grass shears or with a weed whacker about a month before it’s time to plant your tomatoes and peppers, which would be April 15th in our area, and then incorporate it into the soil or use the cut foliage as mulch. A power mower does the job for larger areas.

The following three winter crops are best suited to our area:

Hairy Vetch

Hairy vetch gives a big payback in terms of soil improvement. It’s an annual winter legume that serves both as a cover crop, green manure and mulch.  It's extremely cold tolerant and contributes 80-250 lb/acre of nitrogen to the soil, 18 pounds of phosphorus, and 132 pound of potassium. Sow at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds/1,000 sq feet. The first year you may have to use a special inoculent with the seed. Legumes have developed a symbiotic relationship with a common, beneficial soil bacteria, Rhizobium, which allows them to fix nitrogen from the air, and make it available to the plant.  If you haven't planted a legume crop (peas, beans, clover e.g.) in a few years, then add the inoculant.  It contains a starting colony of the Rhizobium microorganisms which will remain active in the soil to benefit future crops.

Oats

Another type of winter cover crop to consider is cold hardy oats. When the temp dips to near 0ºF the plant drops down to the ground and dies; the dead leaves and stems will protect the surface all winter. They will form a nearly impenetrable mat that will drastically reduce light transmittance to weed seeds which reduces weed seed germination.

Winter Rye

Winter rye is an excellent cover crop because it rapidly produces a ground cover that holds soil in place against the forces of wind and water. It should be sown at about a 2 to 3 pound of seed for every 1000 square feet of area being sown. The rye will grow over the winter, and its fibrous roots will improve soil structure and provide organic matter when you turn it under before planting in the spring.

Regularly adding cover crops and other organic materials can raise your soil’s nutrient level and physical quality, thus reducing the need to add fertilizers. Use cover crops and green manures as part of your soil-building program.

Check with your local farm supply store for seed or order on line.  Peaceful Valley Farm, Territorial Seeds, Johnny's Selected Seeds, and Seven Springs Farm are possible sources.

Victory Garden 2012 Log - July 23

Getting Ready to 'Shop'

Master Gardener Donna Berard spoke today about eating locally or becoming a locavore. This is someone who seeks out and savors food grown, raised, or produced near home. The Locavore Way by Amy Cotler is a good reference source.

Really Local Produce

Learning to eat seasonally, when produce is picked ripe and available right from the field is a delicious way to eat and also helps the local grower if you buy directly. Some grocery stores have special areas where local produce is displayed.

Spent Beans and Peas

Today we cleaned out some of the crops that are no longer producing; peas, some bush beans, and also had a few Colorado Potato Beetles to be picked off.

Soon Met a Soapy Death

We harvested a good number of green bell peppers, cayenne hot peppers, yellow and green zucchinin squash, cucumbers, beans, beets, carrots and swiss chard.

Butternut Squash

Waiting for the fall is the butternut squash.

Pole Beans Still Climbing



Picking Bell Peppers



Cayenne and Jalapeno Hot Peppers

Corn in the Three Sisters Garden

Of course, it's never as simple as it seems.  Here's an alternative view:  The Locavore's Dilemma:

In The Locavore’s Dilemma, they explain the history, science, and economics of food supply to reveal what locavores miss or misunderstand: the real environmental impacts of agricultural production; the drudgery of subsistence farming; and the essential role large-scale, industrial producers play in making food more available, varied, affordable, and nutritionally rich than ever before in history. At best, they show, locavorism is a well-meaning marketing fad among the world’s most privileged consumers. At worst, it constitutes a dangerous distraction from solving serious global food issues.

Deliberately provocative, but based on scrupulous research and incontrovertible scientific evidence, The Locavore’s Dilemma proves that:Our modern food-supply chain is a superior alternative that has evolved through constant competition and ever-more-rigorous efficiency.  A world food chain characterized by free trade and the absence of agricultural subsidies would deliver lower prices and more variety in a manner that is both economically and environmentally more sustainable.  There is no need to feel guilty for not joining the locavores on their crusade. Eating globally, not only locally, is the way to save the planet.

Church Potluck Picnic Dish from the Garden

Potato Salad for Church Picnic

Most of the ingredients for the above came from my garden.  Let's deconstruct:

Garlic Scapes

Garlic scapes.  The flower stalk from hardneck garlic varieties.

Peas coming in.

Picking some sweet onions a little early.

Lettuce

I got the lettuce seeds from fellow MG Gary Ankney back in 2010.  Let a few plants go to seed after they bolt, and then save them for the following year and be sustainable.



Asparagus








Last of the asparagus for garnish.  I'll let the rest of the spears leaf out to provide energy for the roots for next year.

Herbs - Lovage, Cilantro, Parsley, and Thyme

Lovage is a perennial herb with a strong celery-like flavor.  Nice to have around to always be able to get that celery flavor, even if your refrigerator drawer comes up empty on the crunchy vegetable.  Here's a NY Times article with some recipes using lovage.

Chopped Herbs and Scapes



Dried Chilis from the Pantry










Let's kick it up a notch with some dried Thai Chilis from the pantry.

And some dried Penn State developed Zavory peppers and dried tomatoes from the 2011 season.

These were reconstituted in some boiling water, and added to the salad.

Reconstructed Final Salad

And voila, with the last of the radishes on top as a garnish.  Hope my fellow congregants enjoy the result tomorrow.